The assembly of many different types of fiber panels, including graphite carbon fiber panels, throughout various production processes requires countersink drilling. Currently, undesirable graphite dust particles and chips are produced in an uncontrolled manner when countersink drilling is performed. This unchecked production of graphite dust particles and chips creates an unacceptable workplace environment. The afore-described concerns resulting from graphite fiber and fiberglass dust particles have made the utilization of vacuum attachment devices for countersink cages a standard protocol in countersink drilling. A countersink cage is a cylindrical-shaped guard that surrounds a countersink drill bit. The countersink cage is calibrated to set the depth to which the countersink drill is allowed to bore. Countersink cages are designed to allow chips, particles, and dust to be expelled during the drilling process. Vacuum attachment devices are mounted on countersink cages so as to catch the expelled chips and particles produced during the drilling process and route them to a vacuuming device. However, because of the added production time involved with mounting and unmounting current vacuum attachment devices to countersink cages, and readjusting countersink depth settings, many countersink drill users are tempted to abstain from using vacuum attachment devices, even though they desire the protection such devices provide. The disadvantages of current vacuum attachments force countersink drill users to choose between maintaining proper workplace environment standards, and sacrificing valuable production time.
Prior vacuum attachment devices have also failed due to a variety of additional factors, including cost, functionality, material strength, and material durability. One of the conceptual failures embodied in previous vacuum attachment devices was the requirement of disassembling countersink cages in order to properly mount the vacuum attachment devices. Mounting of these prior devices also resulted in the need to reset the countersink calibration depths. These steps are undesirable because they are time consuming, and because changes in countersink depth settings can produce defects, such as overly shallow or deep countersinking. Material bond strength failure and relative complexity of design are also additional factors that have led to the lack of full acceptance and implementation of previous vacuum attachment devices.
There is a continuing need in the art for a vacuum attachment device that can quickly and easily mount onto countersink cages without requiring countersink cage disassembly or countersink depth recalibration. Sufficient material strength, low cost of materials, and relative ease of manufacture are additional advantageous characteristics which are desired in a vacuum attachment device.